Ukrainian sources have claimed that nearly a third of Russian warships have been disabled or sunk throughout the war.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to rage on, Kyiv unveiled a new upgraded sea drone that it says can operate anywhere in the Black Sea. While Ukrainian forces have heavily depended on influxes of Western-delivered military equipment and aid over the last three-plus years of warfare, indigenous designs have also appeared to be fruitful. Since 2023, Ukraine has reportedly used a sophisticated, homegrown, unmanned naval drone to strike Russian shipping and infrastructure in the Black Sea. Known as the “Sea Baby,” this underwater vessel has become quite popular.
How Ukraine Is Making Use of Sea Drones
Ukraine’s sea drone effort was first publicized back in 2023, when a video displaying the Marichka sea vessel circulated on social media. In the video, the Marichka appears to be lowered into water, while unidentified personnel are seen climbing on top of the drone, which eventually begins moving via its own propulsion system. As explained by The War Zone, “Unsurprisingly, AMMO Ukraine has presented Marichka as a potential explosive-filled kamikaze weapon that could be used to attack ships and littoral infrastructure, including bridges. For a year now, Ukrainian forces have been making increasingly good use of an expanding arsenal of drone boats to launch attacks on Russian Navy ships at sea and in port, as well as other targets like the Kerch Strait Bridge.” Kyiv’s prioritization of building up its sea-based arsenal to better strike Russia’s Black Sea presence and fleet makes sense as Moscow uses Crimea as a strategic military and logistical hub. Ukrainian sources have claimed that nearly a third of Russian warships have been disabled or sunk since the start of the war, ranging from amphibious landing ships to missile corvettes and patrol ships.
In 2023, a covert unit in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency conducted a targeted strike to take out Moscow’s Sergey Kotov warship. In order to accomplish this major feat, Ukrainian forces used the specialized Magura V5 UAV. While this small motorboat appears fairly harmless from afar, it proves to be quite lethal when deployed.
The Details on the Sea Baby Drone
Considering the success of Kyiv’s sea drone efforts to date, and the continued demise of Moscow’s naval assets, the improvement of the country’s sea baby drone is smart. According to the Ukrainian Security Services, “The range of the Sea Baby was expanded from 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles),” adding that the upgraded version “can carry up to 2,000 kilograms (about 4,400 pounds) of payload.” Ukrainian officials demonstrated the upgraded drone’s capabilities to journalists at a secretive location earlier this month. Reuters reported that as part of this showcase, two naval drones mounted with rocket launchers and guns were displayed. Next, one of the drones was taken for a test run on the water, operated by a team on shore.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Shutterstock.
